Getting To The Bottom Of The Bottle: 25 Best Bottle Episodes

Photo: FOX

Family Guy – “Brian and Stewie”

Family Guy is one of those shows that galvanizes people into one of two camps. Either you love it and appreciate it for what it is, or you hate it and can’t come to terms with it at all. There’s not usually a whole lot of in between. What started out as the underdog series of the FOX Sunday night turned into a fan favorite, and ultimately made Seth MacFarlane a very rich man.

These days, however, it’s more like a parody of itself, repeating popular gags for the purpose of fan service, and relying heavily on its own routine of offensive behavior and cut away shots. But not “Brian and Stewie.” Family Guy went a little dark as a way to examine the relationship between these two characters that has evolved into the main dynamic of the show.

During the episode, in which Stewie and Brian were locked in a bank vault, they explore the creaky, dusty corners of their relationship that has run the gamut from scolding hate to intense love. Among the comic riffing between the two, there are also some pretty grim disclosures about Brian’s alcoholism and thoughts of suicide and Stewie’s sociopathic tendencies.

Locking the two characters together in a room without any distractions, including the signature cutaways, created an intensity that made this 150th episode a refreshing introspection into a show that seems like it has none.